The slot: How Seyi Ajirotutu stays relevant for the Chargers

Everyone is worshiping at the altar of Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers this week, saying he can take bums off the street and make the passing game work. While no one can deny the talents of Rivers, people are making the mistake of overlooking the contributions of Seyi Ajirotutu.

Because he is an undrafted rookie, people are figuring that his Week 9 performance (four catches, 111 yards, two TDs) was a result of Rivers having no one else to throw to.

Yes, the stats came against the porous Texans pass defense, but Ajirotutu still capitalized on the situation by getting behind the secondary and making big plays when he had the chance. With deceptively good speed for his size (6-3, 210 pounds), Ajirotutu is similar to teammates Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd.

When Floyd and Jackson return, Ajirotutu definitely will see fewer targets. However, expecting him to disappear altogether is premature. Chargers coach Norv Turner heaped praise on Ajirotutu this week and said that Ajirotutu will remain on the active roster for the rest of the season.

With Jackson still needing to get into game shape and Floyd needing to test his hamstring (which can be a difficult injury to come back from), Ajirotutu may see more targets than people expect over the next couple of games.

In 12-team leagues, he is worth keeping an eye on as any breakout performer in the Chargers offense will have plenty of value. Those in deeper leagues should stash him on your roster just in case his breakout goes beyond Week 9.

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